How to Choose the Best Over the Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones

Whether you're commuting via public transportation or working from home, noise-cancelling headphones can upgrade your listening experience by forming an audio buffer between your ears and the outside world. But how do you know which pair is right for you?

There are two primary kinds of noise cancelling headphones: passive noise isolation and active noise cancellation. The former uses heavily padded ears that are squeaky-clean to block out outside sounds, while the latter use built-in microphones to create opposite sound waves to cancel out any background noise.

Comfort

If you're spending your day in noisy public transportation or battling for office space with chatty coworkers or trying to catch some shut-eye on a flight that's overbooked Noise cancelling headphones provide a sonic buffer between your ears and the world. These headphones allow you to listen to your music at the right volume without straining your ears. A majority of our top picks also have a light design, which makes them comfortable to wear all throughout the day.

Noise cancellation is usually achieved through active sound reduction techniques that generate opposing sound waves in order to block out ambient noise. There are headphones that come that have passive noise isolation which seals the earcups or buds around the ears to block out unwanted sounds. However, the best models we tested have active sound cancelation to provide the ultimate escape.

To achieve the most effective results, you'll need to ensure that your headphones are snug and well-designed. It is important to ensure they don't leak as this can be annoying to the people who are around you. For a truly immersive audio you'll need headphones that support high-resolution Bluetooth codesc LDAC. This lets them play back hi-res music at 96kHz/24-bit resolution and makes them an audiophile's dream.

Many new models are foldable making them small and easy to carry around. The Bose QC45 headphones we've reviewed for instance are a great option to consider if you're looking a comfortable travel headphone that folds flat to fit inside its case. If you're a frequent traveler, the Sennheiser HD450BT is an excellent pair of headphones that fold down to fit inside your carry-on bag.

Most of the models featured in our roundup are wireless, and a lot of them are true headphones with built-in microphones that allow hands-free phone calls. You can also manage your noise cancelling and audio settings using a separate app that is a great option for anyone looking to adjust their headphones on the go. Some wireless models include docking stations that allow on the move listening, and others come with a case which gives you the power to run for headphone hours when you are away from home or at work.

Sound Quality

Many music lovers are concerned about the quality of their headphones, particularly those that have a high-quality audio. Noise cancelling headphones are an excellent option to block out the sounds of outside.

If you're going to spend a significant amount of money on headphones, it makes sense that they'll capable of playing your music and possibly. Fortunately that's what they can do. As ANC headphones have evolved in sound quality, their sound has improved with time. This has led to some of the most powerful headphones that today can compete with the top audiophile headsets.

The quality of the sound you hear will depend on your preferences and headphone listening habits. Some people will prefer an open and warm sound with a rich bass while others may prefer high-quality headphones that can deliver every nuance of a track or album.

The kind of sound you appreciate the most is contingent on how important noise cancellation is for you. While ANC is excellent in removing dull sounds such as the whirring of an aircraft or the roar of traffic, it isn't able to eliminate dynamic sounds that vary in intensity and frequency such as human voices or instruments.

If you're looking for the most effective passive isolation, a pair headphones with ANC that is excellent is a good option regardless of whether they are headphones for earbuds or over-ear. You can achieve impressive isolation even without active noise cancellation by using Comply memory foam tips or similar products that will mold perfectly to the shape of your ear.

Most ANC headphones come with various bluetooth over ear headphones noise cancelling codecs that allow you to connect to the audio source you prefer. The Sony WH1000XM4s, as an example, have LDAC support as well as DSEE Extreme to ensure you can listen to your favorite songs in high-quality and with stunning clarity. Sinead's sibilant cry and her powerful chorus is evident in her rendition of Nothing Compares 2 U.

Noise Cancellation

Noise cancelling headphones are an excellent way to put a buffer between you and the outside world. They essentially listen to the sounds that you hear, and make use of built-in microphones to "read" those sounds, only allowing the audio you want to hear through. They're an excellent choice for commuting, working from home, or in any other situation where background noise cancelling headphones with mic is distracting or annoying.

To achieve their magical effects Noise cancelling headphones use an engineered technology known as active noise cancellation (ANC). Miniature microphones in the earcups or earbuds are able to listen to the sounds that you're exposed to and then emit opposite frequencies, which will then collide with each other and effectively block out unwanted sounds, revealing only the music you're listening. It's more complex than that, and is contingent on the hearing sensitivity of your ears, the headphone design, and the quality of the audio processing, but the basic idea is that they significantly reduce the noises you hear, be it an aircraft engine or your friend's animated conversations.

The best active noise cancelling over ear headphones over-ear noise cancelling headphones ANC headsets we tested aren't able to completely block out background noises however they are effective in blocking them. Look into a pair of headphones with adaptive noise cancelation. This enhances ANC to a whole new level by monitoring ambient sounds and reversing them in real-time, while maintaining the audio you'd like to listen to (including handsfree calls) at a constant level. The Sony WH-1000XM5s provide an example of this technology in the action.

Apart from the noise-canceling features, lots of over the ear ANC headphones come with other useful and interesting features that can make listening more enjoyable. Look for features such as touch controls, high-quality audio codec support and support for voice assistants such as Siri or Google Assistant. Wireless Bluetooth is essential to allow hands-free playback of audio and convenient audio playback. A portable charging case can keep you connected when you travel.

A passive mode is a handy feature. It allows you to turn off the noise-canceling circuitry and listen with the same degree of isolation that regular headphones provide. This is a useful feature for when you want to hear the outside world or don't have enough battery life left to recharge your headphones.

Value

A great pair of headphones can make you feel like you're in a soundproof room when listening to music or making phone calls. Noise cancelling headphones are more expensive, but they will provide superior sound quality and block out background noise. This is why they are worth the investment for those who spend much time at home in the office or traveling.

The Sony WH1000XM5 headphones are packed with useful features. They have impressive noise cancellation capabilities and come with a dedicated mic that produces natural, clear audio during calls as well as DSEE Extreme Audio Upscaling. Their ANC system does a great job of blocking out sounds from outside but they struggle to separate you from low-frequency sounds like traffic or trains passing by.

They are also light and folds down into a compact D-shaped box that tucks into a carrying case, making them perfect for traveling. They work with a variety of voice assistants including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and have a feature which automatically will stop music when removed from your ears. They can also be connected to an audio wire to listen to your favorite podcasts or videos in noisy environments.

The Razer Opus Wireless headphones are an excellent value for the money. Alongside an ANC system that is reliable they also have a transparency mode that turns on the external microphones of the headphones so that the sound of your surroundings can be heard. They also feature an integrated USB-C charging port, which means that they can be charged even while being used. They have a low-latency Bluetooth connection, which is essential for mobile gaming and watching videos.

If you're looking for a budget-friendly alternative you can look at the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless headphones. They are great at canceling out distracting sounds, such as the rumble from plane engines or buses or the high-pitched hum of computer fans. They can last for more than 32 hours on a single charge. They have an auto-off timer that can save power.